Shadow over Okinawa
by chilled monkey
Summary: While on holiday in Okinawa Tadashi and Kaori encounter not the Death Stench, but a different evil from beneath the sea. AU. OVA/movie version.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the movie "Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack," or the manga it is based on, "Gyo." Neither do I own any aspect of the Cthulu Mythos. No profit is being made from this story. It is written for enjoyment only.

 **Author's Note:** Normally I only start posting when I am close to finishing the story. This time I'm making an exception and posting only what I've written so far. As such it will be a long while before this story gets updated but I fully intend to return to it eventually.

* * *

Tadashi leaned back on his towel and sighed contentedly as he felt the cooling breeze on his skin. It really was a beautiful day, with a clear blue sky and warm sunshine. While he didn't much like the sea itself he had to admit he was glad to be here, on a white sandy beach on the coast of Okinawa. Of course he wasn't actually here for the beach, not at all. He was here for one reason only.

Tadashi smiled as he turned his head and gazed at the beautiful young woman in a white bikini laying next to him, his fiancée Kaori. Her long brown hair shone in the sun and her lovely face wore an expression of peaceful happiness.

As long as they were together he didn't mind where they were. He was very glad he'd been able to get time off from his job as a radio DJ to come with her on this holiday to celebrate their upcoming graduation. Kaori had also invited her friends Erika and Aki but both of them had declined. No doubt Erika hadn't come because Tadashi's presence would deter any would-be paramours and Aki didn't want to be a third wheel. Privately Tadashi was pleased. Not only because he and his fiancée could be alone together, but also because he suspected that the two of them were false friends that didn't care about Kaori as much as she cared about them.

 _She has such a good heart_ he thought. _That's one of the things I love about her, she sees the best in everyone._

Kaori opened her light brown eyes and smiled back at him. She raised her left hand and the silver engagement ring on it gleamed brightly. He brought his own ring up in response.

"Tadashi" she said warmly before leaning over and kissing him. He savoured the feeling of her soft lips against his own. After a few moments she drew back to speak.

"Will you be okay if I go snorkelling for a bit?" she asked.

"Sure" he replied. His smile faded as he added, "but please be careful Kaori. There are all kinds of dangerous things in the water. Sharks, jellyfish…"

"You worry too much Tadashi" she said gently. "I'll promise I'll be careful."

"Okay."

She gave him one more kiss and then stood up. He watched as she waded into the bright turquoise ocean until she was treading water. She then put on a diving mask with a snorkel and began swimming away.

* * *

Kaori stared in fascination at the sea bed beneath her. It was a wonderful sight, with colourful tropical fish swimming all around and coral formations in a bewildering variety of shapes and colours. The warm water was clear as crystal, allowing her to see everything perfectly.

 _It's so beautiful here_ she thought. _I should help Tadashi learn how to swim so he can join me when we come here again._

Just then she noticed something moving in the midst of a large cluster of coral. Her curiosity piqued she took a deep breath and dived, swimming down to the sea bed. As she got closer she was able to make out some details. She saw glimpses of greyish-green scales and bulbous yellow eyes. At first she thought it was some kind of very large fish but then she saw something that made her eyes widen behind her diving mask.

 _Wait… did I imagine it or did I just see arms and legs?_

She tried to get a better look but before she could do so the creature shot away in a sudden burst of acceleration, leaving a trail of bubbles in its wake. Kaori peered after the bubble trail but she couldn't see any sign of the creature. Realising she was running out of air she swam for the surface.

* * *

Still laying back on his towel, Tadashi observed Kaori dive underwater and wondered what she had seen. As the seconds ticked past and she did not surface he started to worry. Just as he was on the verge of panicking he saw her head emerge from the water. He sighed in relief and stood up. As she came ashore he ran over to her.

"Are you all right Kaori? I was getting worried."

"I'm fine" she replied. "I saw something very strange down there."

"What was it?"

"I'm not sure. It was hiding in the middle of some coral and then it swam away very fast. I didn't get a good look at it but it didn't seem to move like a fish."

"That does sound strange. When we go home I'll talk to my uncle about it. Maybe he'll have some idea what it could be."

Kaori nodded. "Anyway, would you like to go back to the summer house?"

"I don't mind" Tadashi replied. "We can stay a little longer if you like."

She frowned slightly and shook her head. "No thank you. I'd like to go now. Something about that creature gave me a really bad feeling."

"Don't worry Kaori" said Tadashi as he took her hand. "Whatever it was it's gone now."

"Thank you Tadashi" she said, her expression brightening. She kissed him again and then they began gathering up their things to leave.

As the young couple walked away from the beach neither of them looked back. Had they done so they might have noticed something rise up from the sea. Large yellow eyes glowed faintly despite the sunshine as it watched them depart. Once they were gone it sank down out of sight, leaving no trace it had ever been there.


	2. Chapter 2

_Kaori was swimming through a maze of coral. She was chasing after something, she didn't know what exactly but she knew that whatever it was she had to catch it. Yet no matter how fast she swam her quarry always managed to remain ahead of her and she never managed to see anything of it besides a flicker of motion and a swirl of bubbles as it disappeared around a corner._

 _As she persisted she noticed that the coral structures around her seemed to be changing, taking on bizarre shapes and colours that seemed strangely unnatural somehow, as if they had formed on some other planet than Earth. She only caught fleeting glimpses of them but they were enough to fill her with a deep sense of utter dread._

 _Suddenly the strange, alien corals disappeared as she found herself engulfed in darkness. She stopped swimming and looked around frantically, seeking some way out of the inky blackness. The dread feeling became one of utter terror as she realised that she was not alone._

 _Something loomed out of the darkness before her. Two huge yellow eyes glowed like demonic headlights above a huge mouth filled with needle-like teeth…_

"Kaori wake up!" Tadashi exclaimed as he shook her shoulder. His face was twisted with fear and worry as his fiancée thrashed about from side to side, clearly in the grip of a terrifying dream. It broke his heart to see her in such a state.

She awoke with a gasp and her eyes snapped open. "Tadashi!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as if her life depended on it. He hugged her back, gently stroking her hair and whispering soothing words of comfort into her ear.

"There, there. It's all right, you're safe" he said tenderly.

After a few moments she calmed down and her panicked breathing returned to normal. Only when he was sure she was at ease did he let go of her and move back slightly so they could talk.

"Kaori are you okay?" Tadashi asked as he brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

"I'm fine" she replied. "I just had this awful dream. I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"You have nothing to apologise for" he said softly. "I want to know if anything troubles you so I can help you with it."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He propped himself up on one elbow. "Would you like to talk about your dream?"

Tadashi listened intently as Kaori described her nightmare to him. When she had finished he nodded.

"I see. That thing you saw yesterday must have bothered you more than I thought."

"I guess so" she replied.

"I think I know something that'll take your mind off it" he said. "Tomorrow why don't we go on a tour around the island, just the two of us? Sunshine, fresh air, beautiful scenery. I'm sure you would feel better after that."

"That sounds wonderful Tadashi" Kaori agreed. "But for now, could you just hold me?"

"Of course." He put an arm around her and they snuggled up together. Just a few moments later both of them were again sleeping peacefully.

* * *

Tadashi and Kaori got up bright and early the following morning, eager to make the most of the day. To Tadashi's relief his fiancée seemed to have fully gotten over her bad dream. Still there was no reason to alter their plans, especially as the weather was perfect for a day out. It was just as beautiful as the previous day had been, with the same clear blue sky, warm but not overly so and with a light breeze.

After a light breakfast they talked about what transport they should use. Tadashi held up a brochure.

"What about this? We can rent bicycles and gear for up to five days."

"That's a wonderful idea" Kaori agreed. "The air here is so clean and fresh. With bicycles we won't cause any pollution and we can fully enjoy the scenery."

"Exactly what I was thinking" said Tadashi.

* * *

Soon afterwards they went down to the bike rental shop and rented two mountain bikes plus helmets, tool kits, bike locks, pumps and inner tubes. Kaori chose a blue bike and a black helmet while Tadashi opted for a green bike and a white helmet.

"Where would you like to go first?" Kaori asked as they wheeled their bikes outside the shop.

Tadashi studied a map of Okinawa he had brought with him. "Hmm, there are a lot of places recommended in that guidebook but you have to figure that all of them will be packed with tourists. Why don't we go this way instead?" He pointed to the map and traced a route with his finger.

"Are you sure that will be all right?" Kaori asked.

"It will be okay" he reassured her. "My uncle has been there before and he told me all about it. It's perfectly safe and the scenery is just as good as any tourist spot. We'll have it entirely to ourselves."

She nodded. "Okay. Lead the way Tadashi."

* * *

A few hours later the two of them were cycling leisurely through the Okinawan countryside on a narrow country road. All around them was lush forest, the trees covered in bright green leaves. The high twittering of birdsong filled the air.

"It's so beautiful here" said Kaori as she looked around in wonder at the forest.

"It certainly is. Remind me to thank my uncle" Tadashi agreed. "And we're still pretty close to the coastline. I'm sure it'll be even nicer when we get further inland."

Kaori giggled. "You really don't like the sea do you Tadashi?"

He shrugged. "I know it's kind of silly but there's something about it that's always made me feel uneasy. I don't know why."

"It's okay" she reassured him. "Everyone has something that bothers them for some reason they can't really explain."

"Thanks" he replied. Just then he saw something and brought his bike to a sudden halt. Kaori also stopped just a second behind him.

"What's wrong Tadashi?" she asked.

"Look over there" he said as he pointed off to the side. Kaori looked curiously. There was a break in the tree-line through which she could see a series of small buildings not far away.

"That's strange" said Tadashi as he took out the map and studied it closely. "My uncle didn't say anything about there being a village here. I can't even find it on the map." He got off his bike, propped it against a tree and walked out of the trees to get a better look. Kaori followed him.

They could now see that it was a small village on the edge of the sea. The buildings were mostly small one-story houses made of wood with black stone fences, sliding paper doors and wooden gates. The streets were completely empty, without a single sign of life.

Kaori noticed that the roofs were thatched. _This village must be very old_ she thought. _After 1889, when ordinary people were allowed to use red tiles for their roofs, everyone rushed to use them. The village must have been abandoned before then._

"Let's go and explore it" said Tadashi.

"Eh?" She turned to look at him in surprise. "Tadashi are you sure that's a good idea?"

He chuckled. "You worry too much Kaori" he replied. "It's just an empty old village. I'm sure it will be fine. Besides we have our bikes with us so we can get out quickly if we need to. At the first sign of trouble we'll leave."

"Okay."

Despite her agreement Kaori couldn't help feeling a strong sense of foreboding as they wheeled their bikes out of the trees and down the narrow dirt road that led to the abandoned village.


	3. Chapter 3

It did not take long for them to determine that the village was in even worse shape than they had first thought. All of the buildings were badly decayed and many of them looked to be on the brink of collapsing. The wood of the houses was covered in green mould and the paper doors were mostly rotted away, leaving only a few blacked tatters hanging in the door frames. Most of the houses had gardens which had no doubt once been immaculate but were now overgrown and choked with weeds.

There was something about the village that was deeply troubling to Kaori. An oppressive pall seemed to hang over it like a thundercloud. The very air seemed thick with a sense of menace and something evil lurking unseen. Despite the warm air she felt goose bumps rise on her skin.

That feeling of dread only grew when she noticed something odd. Scattered all around were pieces of red and black stone. At first she'd thought they were just stones but upon closer inspection she realised they were actually pieces of broken statues. Most were smashed beyond recognition but a few were still intact enough for her to realise what they had been.

"Tadashi, look at this" she called.

"What is it?" he asked.

Kaori pointed at the broken pieces. "Look closely. What was this before it was broken?"

He studied the pieces. "This was a shisa."

"Exactly!"

A shisa was a small statue of a creature resembling a half-dog, half-tiger. It was believed to protect the inhabitants of a house against evil spirits. Typically people in Okinawa placed them in pairs on either their roofs or flanking the gates of their houses.

As she studied the statue fragments Kaori noticed that the head of one of the shisa was surprisingly whole, having apparently been overlooked. A sudden impulse came over her and without really thinking about it she slipped it into her pocket.

"Well this village is very old. They probably just fell off and broke when they hit the ground" he said.

"But Tadashi, they aren't just broken, they've been smashed into bits" Kaori pointed out. "If they had just fallen off then wouldn't at least some of them be more intact? And what about the ones at the gates? They've been smashed up as well."

"You're right" Tadashi agreed, his voice becoming more worried as he spoke. "In fact there isn't a single shisa on any of the roofs or gates we've seen. Maybe people have been vandalising them."

"But then wouldn't there be other signs of vandalism? It's like only the shisa have been broken."

Now Tadashi looked very anxious. "Kaori, I think we should leave."

"Yes, this place is creepy" she agreed.

As they turned to go they both heard a rustling of cloth and the sound of footfalls. That was the only warning they got as suddenly figures began appearing from around every corner as if by magic. Kaori yelped in alarm and Tadashi put a protective arm around her while his eyes widened in shock.

All of the approaching figures were dressed in tatty brown robes that concealed most of their features. Glimpses of their faces showed translucently pale skin, bulging yellowish eyes, flat noses, thick, frog-like lips and most alarmingly, sharp, pointed teeth.

Tadashi was about to yell for them to jump on their bikes and get out of there but he realised at once that it was too late for that. They were already surrounded and more of the strange, deformed people were appearing from inside the decrepit buildings.

"We don't mean any harm" said Tadashi, managing to keep his voice calm. "We're sorry for trespassing, we thought this place was abandoned."

One of the robed figures pointed a finger at him and Kaori. This one wore wristbands made of a pale whitish gold with bizarre designs sculpted onto them and his robe was embroidered with the same designs.

"Take them" he said, his voice a barely intelligible gurgle.

Kaori screamed as the robed figures charged them. In desperation she and Tadashi tried to fight their way out of the crowd but there were too many and they were quickly overwhelmed.

"Stop it! Let her go!" Tadashi yelled as his arms were firmly seized and held in place behind his back.

They paid him no heed. The one with the gold wristbands, clearly the leader, pointed to a nearby building. Like the rest of the village it was in a sorry state of disrepair but seemed more secure than most of the others.

"Bring them. It has been too long since Dagon received his tribute."

Tadashi and Kaori screamed in protest and struggled frantically as they were dragged into the building. Their fear only grew once they were inside.

The building consisted of a single hall, about thirty feet square. The walls were covered with the same green mould as on the outside. They were lined with sheets of the same pale gold the leader wore. The sheets were decorated with more grotesque designs, many of them depicting strangle, fish-like creatures. On the far wall was a great gold disc with the symbol of an eye etched onto it.

The leader strode over to a filthy, tattered rug and kicked it aside to reveal a metal ring set into the floor. He crouched down and pulled on the ring, opening a trapdoor. Behind it was a stone staircase.

"Down" he growled.

Tadashi and Kaori were brought down the staircase into a darkened chamber. Several of the robed figures scurried ahead and began lighting torches set into the walls. The torches flames illuminated a stone corridor with dank grey walls. On one side was a rusty barred door. The leader opened it.

"Put the girl inside. We will keep her for later."

"Tadashi!" Kaori cried as she was pushed into a small cell with bare stone walls and a single bench made of rotten wood. The door was closed behind her and secured with a chain lock that went through the bars.

"Let her go!" Tadashi yelled. He struggled harder than ever but his captors grip on him remained unyielding.

"You should worry more about yourself" said one of them coldly.

"Kaori!" Tadashi cried as he was hauled away down the corridor by the robed figures. All of them were now grinning with wicked eagerness, their yellowed eyes seeming to glow with a malevolent light. He turned his head as far as he could, trying to keep his eyes on her for as long as possible.

"Tadashi!" Kaori screamed. She gripped the bars of her cell and shook them desperately, the rattling of metal following her fiancé as he disappeared into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Tadashi was taken to a large chamber that had been hewed out of the rock. Like the corridors it was lit by torches, the flames casting writhing shadows in al directions. The walls were adorned with yet more golden sculptures and painted murals. Most of the bizarre artwork depicted humanoid figures bowing to a giant fish-headed man that sat upon a great throne. In the middle of the chamber was a large circular pit, almost twelve feet in diameter and rimmed with white gold. In front of it was a metal bar suspended in the air by two chains.

The robed figures began lowering their hoods and he gasped in horror as he saw how badly deformed some of them were, to the point that they no longer looked human. In addition to what he'd already observed, many had webbed hands, claws, gills on their necks and grey-green scales.

He didn't want to believe what he was seeing but he couldn't deny what he saw with his own eyes. _Is one of these the thing Kaori saw yesterday?_

"What are you? What do you want with us?"

The leader turned to look at him. Tadashi now saw that his eyes were jet black, without an iris or sclera. They were like the eyes of a shark.

"What are we? We are the last sorry remnants of a proud tradition. We are the worshippers of Dagon, the great god of the sea."

"Dagon" Tadashi repeated.

"Yes. Many years ago my noble forebear Obed Marsh brought the worship of Dagon to the fishing town of Innsmouth. In return for human sacrifices Dagon gave us bountiful catches of fish and a limitless supply of gold."

"In other words you sold your souls" said Tadashi disgustedly.

"Bah, what need do we have of souls? When our changes are complete we will live forever in the depths of the sea. Some of us are nearly there." He gestured at the other cultists. After a brief pause he resumed his story.

"For a time we lived in prosperity. But then, in 1927 the U.S. authorities raided Innsmouth. The town was destroyed and our forebears were slaughtered. Only a handful of us made it out alive. We were forced to live as nomads, moving from one place to another and living off whatever scraps we could scavenge. Finally we came to this village and made it our home. Since then we have worked to preserve the Esoteric Order of Dagon as best we could. Now at last we have worthwhile sacrifices to offer him."

"Let Kaori go. I'll be your sacrifice" Tadashi said imploringly.

"No. Both of you will be given to Dagon." He pointed at the pit. "Bring him."

Tadashi fought desperately but was unable to get free as the cultists dragged him over to the pit. They roughly yanked up his arms and bound his wrists to the bar with coils of rope. The cult leader raised a hand and all of them began to chant in a bizarre-sounding language unlike anything Tadashi had seen before. All he recognised was the name "Dagon."

Even as they continued to chant one of the cultists began operating a large winch. With a sound of rotating gears Tadashi was lifted into the air and suspended over the edge of the pit. He winced as his arms took the strain of bearing his weight. Looking down he saw that at the bottom of the pit was a deep pool of dark water.

The chanting only grew louder as the cult leader took out a dagger with an odd-looking wavy blade. Smiling cruelly he walked over to Tadashi and drew the blade slowly across his left tricep. Tadashi clenched his teeth to keep from crying out as the dagger sliced deeply into the muscle, staining his t-shirt a bright red. Still smiling, the cult leader held out the dagger and let drops of blood fall from the blade into the water. Tadashi's horror grew as it began to ripple. He realised what that could only mean.

Dagon was coming.

* * *

Kaori was frantically searching the cell for something she could use to get out. To her surprise and delight she found a metal pipe that had been hidden behind one of the bench's legs. No doubt another prisoner had managed to sneak it in but hadn't had the chance to use it.

She raised the pipe and brought it down on the chain lock with all her strength. One of the links, weakened by rust, broke and the chain fell to the ground. She pushed open the door and hurried down the corridor.

 _Hold on Tadashi. I'm coming!_

After just a few moments she came to a corner and peered around it cautiously. She barely managed to suppress a gasp at the sight of Tadashi being tied to a metal bar and winched over a large pit. The chamber was filled with the robed cultists but thankfully all of them had their attention fully focused on what was going on. None of them noticed her.

Kaori carefully removed one of the torches from the wall and crept closer. She took a moment to steel herself and gather her resolve. Then she struck the nearest cultist in the back with the torch, igniting the rough material of his robes.

The mutated man howled in pain as he stumbled away, inadvertently setting several of his comrades ablaze as well. Panicked cries and screams filled the chamber as Kaori fought her way through the crowd, swinging the torch at anyone who got in her way. She made it to the pit and swung at the cult leader. He nearly fell into the pit as he hastily backed away, dropping his dagger in the process.

"Tadashi!" she cried.

She ran over to the winch and began turning the crank. To her relief Tadashi was raised out of the pit. She raced over to him, picked up the dropped dagger and quickly cut the ropes that held him. Once he was free he immediately threw his arms around her in an embrace that she joyfully returned.

"Are you all right?" Kaori asked.

"I'm okay" he replied. "Thank you Kaori."

Just then they both heard a horrible sound coming from the pit. It was something like rocks being clashed together mixed with a sloshing of liquid. Not wanting to but unable to help themselves they both looked down.

At the bottom of the pit the water was now churning violently. Despite the obscuring white foam they could make out that something was lurking just beneath the surface. All that could be seen was a gigantic lipless mouth with two rows of pointed white teeth the size of stalactites and a huge black tongue. The teeth gnashed together repeatedly, showing glimpses of scaly green skin.

"W, what's that?" Kaori managed to ask.

"Dagon" Tadashi replied shakily. "They worship that thing."

The sound of running feet brought Kaori out of her horror-induced daze. She tore her gaze away from the terrifying sight and whirled around as the mutant cultists tried to rush them. Immediately she began swinging the torch around, forcing them back. They stopped and stood outside of her reach, glaring menacingly and hissing through bared teeth.

"Keep back" she said firmly. She saw that the cultists she had set fire to before were huddled on the ground and whimpering in pain, having been able to put out the flames. None of their fellows spared them a glance. The stink of burned flesh was sickening but she forced herself to ignore it.

"Keep back" she repeated. As she spoke she handed the dagger to Tadashi and he brandished it besides her.

"You cannot defeat us all" said the leader. "Dagon will have his tribute."

Kaori shifted her balance and felt something in her pocket press against her leg. At once she remembered the shisa head she's picked up earlier. An idea came to her.

 _Noble guardian spirit please protect us_ she thought as she reached into her pocket and drew out the head of the shisa statue. She turned and threw it down the pit, right into the monstrous creature's open maw!

At once a deafening roar filled the chamber. The walls and floor began to shake violently as pieces of rock fell from the roof. Panic gripped the cultists as they began running around aimlessly, many of them tripping over their burned fellows and falling down in tangles of limbs.

"Now's our chance!"

Tadashi and Kaori ran from the chamber and fled down the corridor. The shaking was growing more violent with each second, with cracks racing along the walls, dust and debris falling from the ceiling. They ran as fast as they could and when they made it to the staircase they sprinted up it, up through the trapdoor, out of the hall and into the sunlight.

On the surface they could see that the rotting buildings were collapsing as tremors shook the ground, opening up great fissures in the soil. In desperation Tadashi and Kaori ran over to their abandoned bikes, hopped on and began frantically pedalling, narrowly weaving around great fissures that were opening up in the ground. Without looking back they sped out of the village. Only when they reached the tree-line did they finally come to a stop as the tremors ceased.

Kaori put a hand on a tree for support, breathing heavily as the adrenaline rush began to wear off. She looked over at her fiancé.

"Are you all right?" she asked again.

"I'm fine, just a, ah!" Tadashi winced and put a hand to his arm, his exertions having made the cut bleed more profusely.

"Tadashi you're hurt!" Kaori cried as she gripped his arm and examined the wound.

"Kaori it's fine. It's only shallow" he assured her.

"We have to get it looked at" she replied worriedly. "You might get an infection from that horrible place…"

At the mention of the village Tadashi glanced back in its direction and his jaw dropped. Kaori looked as well and her jaw also dropped.

The village had disappeared completely, swallowed up by an enormous sinkhole where the ground had collapsed. There was no sign it had ever been there, all traces of it wiped out by the wound that had been left upon the land by the last act of a monstrous horror.

 _Maybe that's for the best_ Tadashi thought. _Maybe that foul place needed to be erased._

And yet despite how corrupt it had become there had still been a spark of something good there. A guardian spirit that had endured to fulfil its duty of protecting the innocent…

He pushed the thoughts from his fatigued mind and sighed deeply. A smile returned to his face as he looked at Kaori.

"Thanks again for saving me Kaori" he said. "You were very brave."

"Tadashi" she said with a warm smile. She took his hand in hers. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

They decided not to tell anyone about their strange encounter. After all they had no proof. Who would believe them? Although they were deeply shaken by what had happened they supported each other in getting through the aftermath and their relationship was only strengthened. Tadashi decided that there was something he needed to do to help him get over the experience fully though.

And so, several months later, they found themselves on Shirahama Beach. With its white sand and crystal-clear waters it was like they were back in Okinawa. The weather was just like that day had been too, with bright sunshine and a clear blue.

"Are you sure about this Tadashi?" Kaori asked. "You know you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I know and thank you Kaori but I want to do this" he replied. "I want to face my fears."

"I understand. Just remember I'll be with you" she said. "We're together forever."

"I know." He held her hand for an extra few seconds and then took a deep breath and marched across the sand into the sea, the waves lapping at his feet. He shivered as he waded into the cold water but he kept going and soon adjusted to the temperature. Before long he was treading water.

 _Well here goes_ he thought. _I've done this in a swimming pool. I can do it here._

He continued forwards and started to move his arms and legs as Kaori had taught him. At first his movements were clumsy and uncoordinated but after a moment he managed to get the hang of it and was propelling himself smoothly through the water.

"I can't believe it. I'm actually swimming in the sea" he said with a pleased smile.

"Tadashi, I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it" Kaori exclaimed.

He looked to the right and saw her swimming alongside him. His smile grew. He'd known she'd be there just in case. They would always be there for each other.

"Kaori" he said as he stopped swimming and treaded water.

"Hmm?"

"I'm wondering if perhaps a seaside honeymoon wouldn't be such a bad idea after all."

Kaori giggled happily as she paddled over to her fiancé. They put their arms around each other and kissed tenderly.


End file.
